Unnatural sex attractants for male pink bollworms and pinkspotted bollworms and use thereof

Abstract

Novel sex attractant compositions for the adult male pink bollworm or pinkspotted bollworm containing an unnatural ratio of Z,Z- and Z,E-isomers of 7,11-hexadecadien-1-ol acetate and use thereof are described. In the method of the invention, the novel unnatural attractant compositions are applied to fields treated with the Z,Z- or Z,E-isomer of 7,11-hexadecadien-1-ol acetate. This causes the preference of the males to be shifted away from the ratio of the isomers in the pheromone emitted by the female of the species and to the unnatural attractant compositions.

Having thus described the invention, we claim: 
     
       1. A composition comprising a mixture of first and second pheromone dispensers selected from the group consisting of flake dispensers, hollow fibers, and microcapsules, wherein said first dispenser contains Z,Z- or Z,E-isomer of 7-11-hexadecadien-1-ol acetate in an amount sufficient to shift the preference of a male pink bollworm from a volume ratio of Z,Z-:Z,E-isomer naturally occurring in the pheromone emitted by a female pink bollworm and to a different volume ratio, and wherein said second dispenser contains an effective attractant amount of Z,Z- and Z,E-isomers of 7,11-hexadecadiene-1-ol acetate, wherein said Z,Z-:Z,E-isomer volume ratio in said second dispenser is about 75:25 to 99:1 when said first dispenser contains Z,Z-isomer, and wherein said Z,Z-:Z,E-isomer volume ratio in said second dispenser is about 25:75 to 1:99 when said first dispenser contains Z,E-isomer. 
     
     
       2. The composition of claim 1 further comprising an effective insecticidal amount of an insecticide for the pink bollworm. 
     
     
       3. A composition comprising a mixture of first and second pheromone dispensers selected from the group consisting of flake dispensers, hollow fibers, and microcapsules, wherein said first dispenser contains Z,E-isomer of 7,11-hexadecadien-1-ol acetate in an amount sufficient to shift the preference of a male pinkspotted bollworm from a volume ratio of Z,Z-:Z,E-isomer naturally occurring in the pheromone emitted by a female pinkspotted bollworm and to a different volume ratio, and wherein said second pheromone dispenser contains an effective attractant amount of Z,Z- and Z,E-isomers of 7,11-hexadecadien-1-ol acetate in a volume ratio of Z,Z-:Z,E-isomer of about 3:1 to 1:9. 
     
     
       4. The composition of claim 3 further comprising an effective insecticidal amount of an insecticide for the pinkspotted bollworm. 
     
     
       5. A method of shifting the preference of an adult male pink bollworm from the natural pheromone of a female pink bollworm, comprising: (a) treating a locus of pink bollworm males with Z,Z- or Z,E-isomer of 7,11-hexadecadien-1-ol acetate in an amount sufficient to shift the preference of the male pink bollworm from a volume ratio of Z,Z-:Z,E-isomer naturally occurring in the pheromone emitted by the female pink bollworm and to a different volume ratio, and   (b) applying an effective attractant amount of Z,Z- and Z,E-isomers of 7,11-hexadecadien-1-ol acetate to the locus;   wherein said Z,Z-:Z,E-isomer volume ratio in step (b) is about 75:25 to 99:1 when the treatment of step (a) is Z,Z-isomer, and said Z,Z-:Z,E-isomer volume ratio in step (b) is about 25:75 to 1:99 when the treatment of step (a) is Z,E-isomer.   
     
     
       6. The method of claim 5 wherein the treatment in step (a) is Z,E-isomer and the ratio of Z,Z-:Z,E-isomer in step (b) is about 90:10 to 99:1. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim 5 further comprising applying an effective insecticidal amount of an insecticide for the pink bollworm to the locus. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim 7 wherein the ratio of Z,Z-:Z,E-isomer in step (b) is about 90:10 to 99:1. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of applying said effective amount of Z,Z- and Z,E-isomers in step (b) comprises placing traps in said locus baited with said effective amount of Z,Z- and Z,E-isomers. 
     
     
       10. A method of shifting the preference of an adult male pinkspotted bollworm from the natural pheromone of a female pinkspotted bollworm, comprising: (a) treating a locus of pinkspotted bollworm males with Z,E-isomer of 7,11-hexadecadien-1-ol acetate in an amount sufficient to shift the preference of the male pinkspotted bollworm from a volume ratio of Z,Z-:Z,E-isomer naturally occurring in the pheromone emitted by the female pinkspotted bollworm and to a different volume ratio, and   (b) applying an effective attractant amount of Z,Z- and Z,E-isomers of 7,11-hexadecadien-1-ol acetate in a volume ratio of Z,Z-:Z,E-isomer of about 3:1 to 1:9 to the locus.   
     
     
       11. The method of claim 10 wherein the ratio of Z,Z-:Z,E-isomer in step (b) is about 1:1 to 1:3. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim 10 further comprising applying an effective insecticidal amount of an insecticide for the pinkspotted bollworm to the locus. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 12 wherein the ratio of Z,Z-:Z,E-isomer in step (b) is about 1:1 to 1:3. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of applying said effective amount of Z,Z- an Z,E-isomers in step (b) comprises placing traps in said locus baited with said effective amount of Z,Z- and Z,E-isomers.